Summary
- Upgrades feel earned in Dinkum through permits and town rep, focusing on steady improvements.
- Garden Paws creates an ecosystem where players upgrade spaces as businesses grow, adding warmth.
- Littlewood allows player-driven upgrades and personalization, making every detail feel meaningful.
Cozy games give players a chance to create a new home and escape for them. With gentle quests and cute characters, the ability to upgrade the home into something new adds a sense of personal progress and comfort that is hard to beat. Whether players are looking to add a new room for more décor or revamp an old manor, every upgrade is a new chapter in their in-game story.
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This list sets out to look at some of the best cozy games out there with upgradable homes. The rankings are based on overall charm, how satisfying the upgrading process is, how creative upgrades are, and how meaningful they are to a player’s adventure.
10 Dinkum
Upgrades That Are Earned
Dinkum
- Released
- April 23, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation, Survival, Crafting, Farming
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC
- Outback charm
- Decoration options
- Upgrades tied to town rep
Dinkum is set in the Aussie outback and makes every upgrade feel earned rather than something easy. Instead of the focus being a large amount of customization for the player, it instead focuses on steady improvements being made through permits and reputation building. If a player helps the town thrive, in turn, they will unlock new ways to improve their home too.
Dinkum does not have big house designs, but when the small changes do happen, they matter. Each additional improvement helps to blend the cozy into the laid-back, making this a great game for players who appreciate grounded growth.
9 Garden Paws
Island Living With Purpose
Garden Paws
- Released
- October 20, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Player house upgrades
- Layout upgrades available
- Island aesthetic
Garden Paws puts a player's home as part of a larger ecosystem. They have to run a show, help villagers in town, and slowly upgrade the spaces that are all interconnected in their own way. There is almost an air of cozy productivity, with the players' home evolving as the businesses grow.
The game has an almost sweet and whimsical vibe to it, and while some upgrades are straightforward, what they add is more warmth and personality overall. If players are looking for a cozy game that is more about making a house a home than just decorating and living in one, Garden Paws is a great pick.
8 Littlewood
Creative Character Feedback
Littlewood
- Released
- June 17, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Upgrades are player-driven
- Furniture placement tied to character preferences
- Relaxing progression
Littlewood is a life simulator that lets players take their reins in the adventure. NPCs will react to the choices players make for their houses, giving them personality while also judging player styling choices. Players are free to control how their house looks, whether all the pieces go, and what each room is used for.
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The upgrades that the game offers are not expansive by any means, but they do feel personal and needed by the player. If someone is looking for a relaxing routine to add to their daily life, and a slow game where home does feel like where the heart is, Littlewood is full of all of that.
7 Cozy Grove
Growth Through Kindness
Cozy Grove
- Released
- April 8, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Tent upgrades unlock features
- Tools added over time
- Story-driven upgrades
Cozy Grove starts players in a simple tent, but as they explore and help the friendly ghosts around them, the camp upgrades for every task completed. The tent will not grow into a full house, but instead, the surrounding areas become a part of the home, filled with decorations and furniture.
While this game may not be for everyone due to its slower pace and less customization for a big house, it has a lot of charm and atmosphere that make up for it. If players are looking for a calm and cozy experience with some emotional storytelling here and there, this might be the one for them.
6 Hokko Life
Cozy Creativity
Hokko Life
- Released
- June 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Deep design system
- Room-by-room expansion
- Upgrades tied to community progression
Hokko Life offers players a more hands-on approach to home upgrades, making them feel free to do build and experiment to their hearts' content. As the town grows and the game progresses, the ability to improve the living space does too.
The game earns its place on this ranking because of the flexibility it offers players to be able to craft a home that is truly theirs. It may not have all the bells and whistles of some of the bigger titles out there, but it does have that home DIY feel that leaves players designing every single detail.
5 Stardew Valley
Farmhouse Dreams
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Cabin upgrades add rooms
- Seasonal decor
- Ties into legacy play
Stardew Valley starts players with a farmhouse that can be gradually transformed into something more homely. Players can add a kitchen or even family rooms with enough space for children. Every upgrade feels like a milestone in the player's time on the farm.
Its simplicity is combined with an emotional resonance that can be built up and raised much like a house can. Whether a player wants to display all their favorite treasures or wants to build a family home and get married, the home works with them and becomes a part of their valley life.
4 My Time At Portia
Functional Farmhouse
My Time at Portia
- Released
- January 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Home upgrades affect stamina and storage
- Farmhouse-style expansions
- Involves gathering and saving resources
My Time At Portia allows for aesthetic decisions and more when it comes to upgrades. Players will progress in the game, mining and crafting, and they will earn the resources they need to expand their shack into a full workshop, with boosts to match.
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Every upgrade in the game feels like it is meaningful, and the mechanics for how this is done is something everyone can enjoy. When players improve their home, it feels like they have achieved something, and it's connected to that personal rustic feel of the game itself.
3 Disney Dreamlight Valley
Fairytale Home
Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Released
- December 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Gameloft
- Publisher(s)
- Gameloft
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation, Casual
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Fully customizable house exterior and interior
- Storage and functionality expand with upgrades
- Magical meets modern
Disney Dreamlight Valley allows players to live in the middle of a fairytale — and have a house to match that. Players start with a single room and can upgrade and expand many, many times in order to fill their house with all the Disney goodness they can squeeze into it.
There are so many customization options available, which is what makes it so high on the ranking. The home can evolve with a player's style and the characters they choose to resonate with the most. The home upgrades offer practical benefits too, such as more space for inventory.
2 Spiritfarer
Emotional Architecture
Spiritfarer
- Released
- August 18, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Narrative progression
- Rooms serve practical functions
- Upgrades unlock new travel
Spritifarer’s home system is on a boat, and it lives much like the characters in the story. As players traverse through the afterlife and all the stories it brings, players can customize their ships with kitchens and bedrooms. Every room holds its own special meaning, usually built in the honor of a spirit players help to move on.
The home upgrade system in Spiritfarer is intertwined with the storytelling, adding more emotional weight to the changes people choose to make with their ships. Home building feels like a part of a journey rather than an additional task.
1 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Customizable Island Dreamhouse
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Expansive home upgrade system
- Furniture, wallpaper, and layout customization
- Loan-based progression
Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the whole franchise is a gold standard for home upgrades in video games. Starting with just a tent, players must pay off their loans in order to expand their house into a home, with multiple rooms and more floors. With an in-game décor scoring system, players will want to be creative in their décor to match seasons and practice the art of feng shui.
This game had to be first because the franchise is built upon loans and is the biggest house in town. Upgrading the home feels like success in island life. And with so many ways players can make their home feel lived in, it will continue to be played by veterans and new players alike.
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